1. Technical Field
One or more embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to electronic communications. More specifically, one or more embodiments of the present disclosure relate to intelligently augmenting message elements in electronic communications.
2. Background and Relevant Art
Computing devices (e.g., computers, tablets, and smart phones) provide numerous ways for people to connect and communicate with one another. For example, a computing device can execute an electronic communication application that provides various methods to send and receive electronic messages. Conventional electronic communication applications generally allow a user to communicate with other users via text messaging, instant messaging, social network posts, and other forms of electronic communication. In addition, an electronic communication may include a variety of content, such as text, images, video, and/or other data. In general, electronic communication has become a popular way in which people connect and communicate with each other.
Due to the wide variety of ways in which people can communicate using electronic communications, as well as the convenience and mobility of electronic devices, users are often faced with receiving and sending a large number of electronic messages on a daily basis. To increase the efficiency of sending and receiving electronic messages, many conventional electronic communication applications allow a user to include emoticons, stickers, images, etc. within an electronic message as a shortcut form of communication. Emoticons, stickers, images, etc. can represent a shortcut form of communication because less user input (e.g., less typing) may be required to include an emoticon in an electronic communication compared to inputting a message conveying the thought provided by the emoticon using conventional text. Thus, including emoticons, stickers, images, etc. in an electronic message may allow a user to reduce the need to type several words, or even sentences.
Emoticons are popular because they allow a user to convey feelings and emotions that are difficult to convey using text. The use of emoticons, stickers, and the like can help allow users to have an electronic conversation that better allows for communication of non-verbal cues. Thus, emoticons, stickers, and the like can help allow users to express themselves in a manner easily conveyed in face-to-face communication but difficult using text alone.
The use of emoticons, stickers, and the like, can increase the efficiency of sending and receiving electronic messages. Nonetheless, there are several disadvantages with respect to the conventional use of emoticons, stickers, and the like. For example, the use of emoticons, stickers, and the like do not allow for interaction and interplay of non-verbal communication that is common in face-to-face conversations. In particular, after a first user sends an emoticon to a second user, the first user has no indication of whether and how the emoticon was received. In other words, the first user generally does not know whether the second user received the emoticon, whether the second user actually saw the emoticon, or whether the second user understood the first user's meaning in sending the emoticon.
Furthermore, the message elements typically used in electronic communications are not robust. For example, a typical emoticon is a static image that an electronic communication application merely adds to a communication thread between two users. In some cases, the emoticon may be in a format that allows for rudimentary animation. But even an animated emoticon is generally limited to a few self-contained frames of repetitive and non-interactive movement. Accordingly, existing methods of using symbols in electronic communications generally fail to add any layer of expression or interaction to electronic communications between two or more users.
Thus, there are several disadvantages to current methods for utilizing symbols in electronic communications.